LANE | Sanford, Jr. Announced as New WKU Football Coach

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart hopes to keep the offensive train rolling in Bowling Green. Coming off a three-year span of unprecedented offense under the departed Jeff Brohm, Stewart again went with a coach from the offensive side of the ball to lead the Toppers in 2017 and beyond.

Mike Sanford, Junior is a 34-year-old former quarterback who has spent his coaching life dealing with quarterbacks and trying to figure out how to move the ball and score points. He's had multiple stints at Stanford, played and coached at Boise State and spent the 2010 season as an assistant to Willie Taggart on The Hill. He spent the last two seasons as an offensive coordinator at Notre Dame. The son of current Indiana State Head Coach and one-time U of L offensive coordinator, Sanford was introduced as the 20th Toppers head football coach Wednesday in Bowling Green.

Sanford, Jr. said his dream of becoming a head coach started a long time ago and he told a story about following his father around and finally finding a way to get on the field and be part of the game when his father was an assistant at USC in the early '90's.

"Finally at the age of 10, back in 1992 I was able to have the opportunity to hold the cords for the headsets for head coach Larry Smith," said Sanford. "I remember pacing up and down the sidelines, trying to keep up with the action, watching the game and trying to avoid getting hit. And I remember looking up at coach Smith and thinking, that's what I want to do when I grow up. And here I am. I have an opportunity to do that and I feel very humbled to have that opportunity."

Sanford said he comes in with five goals for his coaching tenure at WKU.

1. Every player graduates, have the best APR score in Conference USA

2. Serve Bowling Green and the surrounding community relentlessly

3. Win the Conference USA Championship game

4. Defeat a Power 5 Conference team each year

5. Win a New Year's Six Bowl Game

Nick Holt will continue as coach as the current Toppers get ready for the Boca Raton Bowl, December 20th against Memphis.